Improvement in building-blocks for toy houses



C. JOHNSON. mem-'Sham lmprovment in Building-Blocks for Toy-Houses..

l\10,129,95(),- Patented 1m30, 1872..

improvement in" nio-(129,960,

C CfP JOHNSON.

4zsret's1-'ser2. Building-Blocksvfor ToyH0uses.

Patented July 30,1872.

NTE"

To all whom it mag/concern:

` OEAELES O. JOHNSON, OE SOUTH GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUILDING-BLOCKS FOR TOY HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,960, dated July 30, 1872 antedated J uly27, 1872.

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. J OENSON, of South Gardner, Worcester county, Massachusetts, have `invented Improved Building-Blocks for Toy Houses, 85e.; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in e connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms partof this .specilicatiom is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My invention relates particularly to the construction of a toy house and of buildin g-blocks therefor, the invention being to some extent applicable, however,- to the construction of larger frame buildings, formed of detachable sections for transportation and facility of erectiom e e For the construction of 'my house I employ `four sill-pieces, four vertical cornerposts,.and

four` plates corresponding to the sill-pieces,

`these twelve pieces constituting the main frame of the house, each end of each horizontal piece being cut half away so that any two e ends will lap and match, such lapping ends being connected together and to the adjacent end of the vertical postby a pin on the end of the post, each pin securing the three parts together and in relative position to the other parts.- Each part hasa vertical groove on each of its two inner or adjacent sides, and into each groove lit theends and edges of the boarding or filling pieces which compose the walls of the building. Each door or door-way and each window or window-openin g is formed or bounded by two vertical pieces or posts, each grooved on one edge to receive and secure the ends of the adjacent boards, and across its top and bottom or ends each door and windowpost is made with a groove to lap over or straddle the edges ofthe horizontal boards which extend from post to post, the lockingtogether of the grooves and board edges `and ends securing the window and door pieces in position. The horizontal sills and plates and the vertical posts, and the i manner of connecting them together to form the frame, the grooving of the posts to receive the boarding, andvertical door and windowframe pieces or posts, edge-grooved and endgrooved, to receive and secure the boards and said frame-piecesin relative position, constitute the main features of the invention. The

roof is formed of a square beam, set with one corner uppermost, and with Yits two lower faces grooved, (the saine as are the frameposts,) the ends of the roofing-boards being thrust into and confined by these grooves, each slanted end board of the roof having a grooved piece on its under side, into the groove of which extend the ends ofv the horizontal boards which make the end walls of the rooispace, window-pieces being applied to these boards, if desirable, the Same as to the main walls below. An L, built on the same principle,

kmay form an extension or attachment to the g house, and .the house may be surrounded by a fence, which will also be made up of grooved posts (similar to the main posts of the house, but shorter) and rails, the ends of the rails being thrust into and confined by the grooves of the posts.

; The drawing represents a house formed of blocks or pieces in accordance with my in- `vention.

A shows the house and surroundin g fence. B is an end elevation of the house; G, a side elevation of it. Y

a b c d denote the four sill or bottom pieces, each cut half away to a length corresponding to the, width, so that one end of each lpiece laps and fits to either end of another, as seen in the drawing. At the four corners ofthe quadrangle made /bythe four pieces aV b c d are four vertical posts, e, and upon the tops of the posts e are four beams or plates, f g h t', corresponding to the four sill-pieces a b c d, all the pieces a b c d f g h t' being alike and interchangeable. Each post e has projecting from each end a center or dowel pin, k, which fits into a hole, l. made in each sill-piece and plate, and the cubical frame, composed of the four sill-pieces four vertical posts, and four top each other in each two opposite posts the ends or edges of the wall-boards extend, there being .upon each Side of the house certain cross-boards or horizontal boards m, n, or o, which extend from post to post (their ends entering the postgrooves) on each side of the house,provided with a door, certain shorter boards p, which extend from door-post to main post, their ends enter' with a groove, u, on one face, into Which its one end of a fillingpiece, and with a groove, fr, in each end, into which tits the top or bottom edge of the adjacent cross-piece. All the doorposts are alike and interchangeable, and so are all the Window-posts, all the cross-pieces, m a, o, all the filling-pieces q, all the lining-pieces r, and all the crosspieces p, and, by taking the house to pieces, it may be rebuilt with the doors and windows variously arranged, While no selection is necessary in using the interchangeable pieces. In theroof the ridge-poley is made to be set, as shown at A, having two grooves, e', into which t the upper ends of rooiboards c2, each end one of which has a grooved piece, c2, fastened upon its under side, said piece having a groove, d2, for receiving one end of cross-- boards e2, which form the end of the upper part ot" the house, a Window, made as are all the other windows, being shown as placed in each end of the roof part. If an L is added it will be formed o'f similar pieces, similarlyT connected and dissected, and for the fence short posts f2 are used, each made with two grooves, g2, in opposite faces, if an intermediate post, and in adjacent faces if a corner-post, and the groove may be in one face only if the post is to abut against the building, the ends of rails h2 fitting into the grooves, as seen at A. It will be understood that all the grooves are so made that the entering ends or edges lit snugly into them, being entered or removed by simple pressure, but tittin g tightly enough to hold Without other fastenings. All the grooves in all the pieces are of the same Width, and all the boarding of the same thickness. 0f course, ii a full-size building is to be made, the parts will be held together by suitable dovrei-pins; but for the toy house the parts are preferably held by their simple tight fit. The roof may be surmounted by chimneys 2, each formed with an angular recess, 7a2, for straddling the top of the ridgepole.

When taken apart the pieces pack snugly together in a suitable box, and as some skill is required to form the structure from4 the pieces, and the building, when erected, is quite strong and rigid, and has a really practical construction, the invention is useful as a toy, not only to afford amusement but to instruct the mind of a child.

I claimv l. The frame made of the four sill-pieces a b c d, four plates, f g h z', and four grooved posts, e, each post having a pin, it, at each end to connect the posts and plates and sills together, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with theframe-sills, plates, and grooved posts, the cross-boards m n o, the filling-pieces q r, and the cross-boards p, held in position, in whole or in part, by the grooves in the posts, substantially as shown and described..

3. The doonposts s s and window-posts o, each having an edge groove, t or zo, and end grooves u or w, for receiving` the edges of the i i cross and illin g boards, substantially as shown and described.

4. The roof formed ofthe grooved detachable ridge-pole y, roof-boards a2, and end boards c2, connected together substantially as shown and described.

5. The fence formed of the grooved posts f2 and rails h2, connected and separable, substantially as shown and described.

(JHARLES C. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GOULD, M. W. FROTHINGHAM. 

